We're now able to vote, run for office and become
Prime Minister.
So how come the number of women in politics is still so low? Many barriers make it difficult for women to compete for a spot in public life.

• For starters, because there are so few women in politics, they're not as visible as their male colleagues. As a result, it just doesn't occur to many girls and young women to even consider a political career.
• Women typically have greater difficulty seeking money from donors to finance our election campaigns -- mostly because our network of colleagues and friends is often smaller, poorer, and less influential than the networks of male candidates.
• Notwithstanding our noted capacity to multi-task, it's difficult to raise kids while speaking at rallies, knocking on doors and attending committee meetings far from home. Male candidates have the same challenge, of course, but they're more likely to have a spouse who's keeping the home front together.
• Then there's the fishbowl effect: women who run for office are often subjected to news coverage that focuses more attention on how they look (too frumpy! bad hair!) than on how smart or experienced they are. This undermines their efforts to be taken seriously, and many women just aren't willing to put up with such unfair scrutiny.
• Women's general inclinations towards resolving differences through conciliation and cooperation makes many uncomfortable with the confrontational style of debating common in politics. They just don't want to play dirty.
• Finally, women are less likely than men to believe that their knowledge and experience have prepared them for politics, even when they're actually more knowledgeable and experienced than guys who are willing to put themselves forward.

The result?

A 4 to 1 ratio in our federal parliament, provincial legislatures and city council chambers.